Improvement in barrels



1. L. THoM'soN.-

Barrels.

Patented Feb. 17,1874.

Nmnlo.

WITNESSES WMV@- Z001; Aornegs.

Jonson L. THOMSON, or sYeAoUsE, new YORK, Assienon or ONEHALF HIS RIGHTTO FRANCIS N. DAVIS, OF BELOIT, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT lN BARRELS.

Specification forming part of'Letters Patent No. lfl'l, dated February17, 1874; application filed November 19, 1873. 4

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, J UnsoN L. THOMSON, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga and State of New York, have invented a new Improve`= nient inBarrels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the saine, reference being-had to the accompanyingdrawings forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is aperspective view of a barrel constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a planview of asheet Of paper-board cut in the proper shape for forming thebody of the barrel, and Fig. 4.- is a perspective view of one of thebarrel-heads.

Similar letters of reference indicateV corresponding parts in theseveral figures of the drawings.

My invention has for its object to provide for general use a barrel orcash which snail be cheaper in construction, possess greater strength,and occupy less room, than an ordinary wooden barrel of the samecapacity, and` which shall, at the same time, be water-proof, and nearlyair-tight when headed up. To this end the invention consists, rst, inconstructing the body of the barrel from one sheet of compactedpaper-board in the form of a cylinder of uniform diameter, and inproviding it with hoops and heads, as I will presently set forth. Itconsists, secondly, in constructing` the heads in such a manner as toafford the necessary hold for handling the barrel, and to protect thebody when the barrel is rolled upon the ground. It consists, lastly, inthe method of securing the ends of the paper-board together inconstructing the body of the barrel, as I will hereinafter describe.

The material from which the body of the barrel is formed consists of oneor more layers or sheet-s of paper or paper-board compacted together bythe application of pressure, and rendered waterproof, as described in myapplica tion for Letters Patent iiled contemporane- Onsly herewith. l

In constructing the barrel Iiirst takea sheet of this board cut to theproper size, with dovetailed ends, as shown in Fig. 3, and bend it up toform the cylindrical bodyA, with the dovetails fitting into each other,and secured in place bythe staples or doublepointed nails B. Thesestaples are driven through the dovetailed ends straight or inclinededges overlapping each other, and secured together by the staples. In lthis case" the inside `strip O may be omitted or applied, as preferred.D D are the hoops, made of the compressed board, and joined together atthe ends by staples. They are arranged at or near bot-h ends of thebarrel and at the center, as many being employed as may be desirable ornecessary. Their edges should be beveled off to prevent them from beingabraded Or torn in handling. They may also be covered with canvas orother stout cloth before being applied to the barrel, or, instead ofpaper-board, wooden hoops may be used. I prefer, however, to use theboard hoops as being the most economical. E E are the heads, in thisinstance made of wood, to t into the ends of the barrel, and with aiiange, F, rest ing against the edges thereof to form a tight joint, andprevent such heads from being forced too far within the barrel. Theflanges also project beyond the body of the barrel somewhat, and formbearing-edges,upon which the barrel may be rolled without the bodycoming in contact with the ground or iioor. By this con struction thebody and hoops are protected against accident when the barrel is rolledalong. The heads are alsoV formed with a concentric groove, Gr, in theirouter faces, by which the barrel may be grasped in handling, and whichalso afford the necessary hold for chine-hooks when the barrels arehoisted and lowered byV rope tackle. The heads are secured in place bynails or staples B, driven into their edges through the ends of thebarrel and its end hoops, as shown. Instead of constructing the heads ofwood, they may be made of thick paper-board pressed into the requisiteshape, or formed from paper-pulp pressed and molded. The wooden heads,however, I regard as the cheapest, and, perhaps, the best. The paperornamental colors after being compressed, and

above described, occupy much less rooni for much space, and only set upwhen required boards are generally water-proofed lwhile bciiig condensedin the process of manufacture; but the barrels themselves may be alsopainted or varnished upon the inside and outside, to increase theircapability for resisting the action of Water, and to produce a neat andornamental finish.

For certain kinds of barrels the boards are embossed by indcntations, inany suitable {igand in some instances they are painted with before theyare formed into barrels.

Barrels and casks constructed in accordance Wit-h my invention,and inthe cylindrical forni storage and transportation than ordinary barrelsor casks of the saine capacity. For cxaniple, one hundred andtwenty-live or thirty ilourbarrels constructed as I propose can betransported iii a freight-car which would hold but one hundred woodeniiour-barrels of the same capacity. A large amount is, therefore, savedin transporting or storing the filled barrels. Instead of constructingthe barrels at one place, and then transporting them to another to befilled, the bodies, hoops, aiidhcads are cut in the proper dimension atthe manu factory, and shipped in bundles or packages to the mill orplace where they are to be used, and there set up and iinished, thesetting up and iinishing of a barrel being accomplished in about threeminutes. Thousands of barrels may thus be kept in store withoutoccupying for use. A still greater saving is, therefore, effected instorage room.

The whole cost of aiinished flour-barrel made in the best manner is fromforty to fifty per cent. less than the cost of a Wooden flour-barrel ofthe saine capacity. It is also stronger and more durable than thelatter, and affords/i sign.

l-Iaving thus described ni y inif'cntion, Wh at I claim is l. A barrelor eask having its body formed of a single sheet of compressedpaper-board, bent into cylindrical form, and provided with wooden headsand compressed paper hoops, substantially as described, for the purposespecified. i

2. The head of the barrel constructed with an edge flange, F, projectingbeyond the bod y of the barrel, and provided with a concentric groove inits outer face to afford the necessary hold in applying or reinovin gthe head, and in handling the barrel, substantiallyas described.

3. A barrel or eask having its body formed of a single sheet ofcompressed paper-board, bent into cylindrical form, and secured togetherat its edges by a dovetailcd joint and double pointed nails,substantially as dcscribed.

4. The interior stiftening-piece C, coinbined with the body of thebarrel, to protect and cover the dovctailed joint, substantially asdescribed.

.TUDSON Ii. THOMSON.

Witnesses:

N Davis, F. A. ELLsWonriI.

